Childhood: Memories of the Museum

Neil Chalmers

For Neil, it is a museum director's duty to understand how visitors access and enjoy exhibitions, how they interact with its curators and scientists and how research is relevant to the wider world. His unconventional approach to museum management saw him instil a new lease of life to the Museum's logo, and strengthen the public image of the Museum through appealing new galleries and giving visitors more opportunities to engage with the Museum's scientists.

His interest in generating discussion between people of different backgrounds extended to the Museum's scientific activity, and Neil worked to increase the number of agreements between the Museum and countries worldwide, which would both improve the conditions of collecting for Museum staff, and train scientists in host countries. With Neil's ability to seek new opportunities, the Museum moved from strength to strength.